Painted Bunting mature males - the birds without equal - the most colorful songbirds in North America - have been arriving in Florida in larger numbers now that the weather has turned quite cold up north. These birds stay in very heavy brush cover and only venture out to feeders. You will notice that despite their bright garish coloration they are surprisingly hard to see in dense cover.
Celebrate Squirrel Appreciation Day - January 21st !
Wednesday January 21st, 2016 is Squirrel Appreciation Day! Squirrels have a number of admirable qualities, not the least of which is obvious intelligence (have you ever tried to outsmart one, it's a humbling experience), dedication to family and raising their young, strength and agility, perseverance, a natural instinct to show off and entertain, plant trees, and a certain irresistible cuteness, especially young Red Squirrels. Squirrels are a great species to introduce children to wildlife and to learn to interact with and appreciate the natural world right in your own yard. Start observing the squirrels in your environment and you'll be amazed at the things they do. Just a sample of the many squirrel pictures and videos taken in the yard are found below. My personal favorites are the Red Squirrels - check out the Red Squirrel Playlist !
Celebrate Monday by buying a bag ofunsaltedroasted peanuts in the shell - take a break from the daily grind and go out in the backyard or the park and feed the squirrels. In colder climates this is the time of winter when they could use a little help as well as the birds.
A little motivation message from the animal kingdom. This little Red Squirrel is inspiring - the picture of determination. The task seems insurmountable, but it assesses the situation, takes a deep breath and gets on with it. Nothing like a "tough nut to crack" to challenge you! Its hard work will pay dividends down the road. The full version of this is at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ld9OQgOUOdk
Amazing contact calls from female inside the nest box to male outside almost like telegraph Morse Code. Eastern Screech owl mating and contact sounds are in full swing and the first egg should appear any day. Mother Red Morph Eastern Screech Owl has moved into the nest box full-time and makes some unusual lengthy contact calls to Mr. Owl who is starting to bring her food in the nest box. You will not need to turn up the volume - these calls are loud!
The three baby squirrels raised in a woodpecker nest box and transferred to a nest high in an Oak tree have now left the nest and are out on their own as part of the Backyard society - all safe and healthy. Gray Squirrels typically are not totally weaned and depart their nest until they are almost as big as adult squirrels. You can tell by their behavior they are quite tentative.
The playlist of the Baby Squirrels Raised in a Woodpecker Nest Box is at:
The story of three infant Gray Squirrels who were delivered in a Woodpecker Nest box in October 2015 in the backyard. Many hours of recorded and live broadcasts document these precious creatures and the amazing way they interact with each other and their mother. Some of the most precious babies in Nature!
Little Blue Heron's extreme concentration and quick strike pays off with a tasty shrimp meal. Up close slow motion shows how they cock their neck and use it like a spring to strike at prey amazingly fast. Much smaller than the Great Blue Heron - hence its name - the Little Blue Heron is a species of special concern in Florida.
Description: Medium-sized heron, with purplish to maroon-brown head and neck; small white patch on throat and upper neck; and slate-blue body. Bill is black towards tip, especially during breeding season, with the other exposed areas on the head appearing dark gray to cobalt blue. Legs are grayish to green, becoming black in breeding season. Immature birds are mostly white with pale slate gray tips on primary wing feathers. Legs of young birds are yellowish green.
Habitat: Feeds in shallow freshwater, brackish, and saltwater habitats. Largest nesting colonies occur in coastal areas, but prefers foraging in freshwater lakes, marshes, swamps, and streams. Nests in a variety of woody vegetation types, including cypress, willow, maple, black mangrove, and cabbage palm. Usually breeds in mixed-species colonies in flooded vegetation or on islands.
Seasonal Occurrence: Mostly resident throughout year, but numbers in north Florida in winter are lower than numbers during spring, summer, and fall; becoming less abundant in Florida Keys.
Florida Distribution: Most recent population estimate is approximately 17,000 birds distributed among 240+ breeding colonies. Colonies are found nearly statewide, except rare in western panhandle and southern Florida Keys.
Range-wide Distribution: Breeds from Kansas, Missouri, and Tennessee to coastal Maine and south to Peru and central Brazil; range extends west to southern California and Sonora; winter range includes these areas and north to coastal Virginia; may wander to Canada after breeding season.
Conservation Status: Because the little blue heron lacks the showy
plumes found on many other herons and egrets, this species did not suffer as much during the plume-hunting trade a century ago. Primary threats are alteration of natural hydroperiods in wetlands used for foraging and exposure to pesticides and heavy metal contamination. Population trends are downward, and breeding colonies have become smaller and more numerous. Illegal killings may occur since this species regularly forages at commercial fish farms and hatcheries. Long-term studies are needed on the
possible adverse effects of cattle egrets, environmental contamination, and other threats. Protection and Management: Protect breeding and foraging habitats through establishment of preserves and regulation of wetlands. Restore and maintain natural hydroperiods in degraded wetland areas. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Department of
Environmental Protection have developed setback distances around wading bird colonies of 330 ft. (100 m) to prevent human disturbance.
Beautiful mating pair of Great Blue Herons building their nest in central Florida. The largest Heron in North America standing over 4 feet tall - they are always exciting to capture especially in their spectacular breeding/mating plumage. This early stage of nest building the male brings small sticks to the female to build the base and they spend a lot of time, as in this video, bonding!
Male Great Blue Herons collect much of the nest material, gathering sticks from the ground and nearby shrubs and trees, and from unguarded and abandoned nests, and presenting them to the female. She weaves a platform and a saucer-shaped nest cup, lining it with pine needles, moss, reeds, dry grass, mangrove leaves, or small twigs. Nest building can take from 3 days up to 2 weeks; the finished nest can range from a simple platform measuring 20 inches across to more elaborate structures used over multiple years, reaching 4 feet across and nearly 3.5 feet deep. Ground-nesting herons use vegetation such as salt grass to form the nest.
Great Blue Herons nest mainly in trees, but will also nest on the ground, on bushes, in mangroves, and on structures such as duck blinds, channel markers, or artificial nest platforms. Males arrive at the colony and settle on nest sites; from there, they court passing females. Colonies can consist of 500 or more individual nests, with multiple nests per tree built 100 or more feet off the ground.
Nesting Facts
Clutch Size 2–6 eggs
Number of Broods 1-2 broods
Egg Length 2.4–3 in
Egg Width 1.8–2 in
Incubation Period 27–29 days
Nestling Period 49–81 days
Egg Description Pale blue, fading slightly with age.
Condition at Hatching Bluish eyes open, chick covered in pale gray down, able to vocalize.
Female Yellow Bellied Sapsucker woodpecker pecking rapidly on a tree for several minutes an a very windy day. This was a first time capture behind the backyard - I have never seen this colorful woodpecker around here before, although I've seen there many holes in some trees in area forests. On a walk through the forest you might spot rows of shallow holes in tree bark. In the Eastern U.S., this is the work of the Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, an enterprising woodpecker that laps up the leaking sap and any trapped insects with its specialized, brush-tipped tongue. Attired sharply in barred black-and-white, with a red cap and (in males) throat, they sit still on tree trunks for long intervals while feeding. To find one, listen for their loud mewing calls or stuttered drumming. Music with a wood-related them is provided by:
Danger of disturbing a fire ants mound mini-documentary. It's not the big red imported fire ant mounds that will get you - those are obviously avoided - its the small fire ant colonies migrating to start a new colony that will catch people by surprise and put the bite on. These migrating ants are exceptionally aggressive and will bite like crazy. This often happens after a number of mounds are treated with poison bait and the survivors move to start new colonies. You just barely have to touch these new nest (not yet a mound) to gets hundreds of ants swarming almost immediately.
Video of fire ant colony on the move in the Florida Backyard:
Thousands of dead fish washed ashore along a few East Central Florida Beaches overnight on December 21st. The dead fish were mostly Thread Herring and were causing quite a stench and sickening a few birds - notably a young Northern Gannet in a bit of stupor. Hundreds of gulls and other birds were drawn to the scene, but hardly any appeared to be eating the fish, perhaps sensing that something was wrong and they may be toxic. Large fish kills have been reported for the last few weeks around Florida perhaps due to toxic algae blooms. Tests were taken of this fish kill and results will be announced within a week. I can say the general "ambiance" caused eyes to water and was generally uncomfortable. It will take some time for nature to clean up the mess and with near record Christmas heat the 1000's of dead fish left on the high tide line will be quite a sensory overload!
Beautiful Tricolored Heron (Louisiana Heron) feeding or foraging in a variety of habitats. Much smaller than the Great Blue Heron.
On the southeastern coastal plain, the Tricolored Heron is a characteristic bird of quiet shallow waters. Strikingly slender, with long bill, neck, and legs, it is often seen wading belly-deep in coastal lagoons. Although it is solitary in its feeding, it is sociable in nesting, often in very large colonies with various other herons and egrets. Formerly known as Louisiana Heron.
A species of special concern in Florida: Most nesting colonies occur on mangrove islands or in willow thickets in fresh water, but nesting sites include other woody thickets on islands or over standing water. Prefers coastal environments. Feeds in a
variety of permanently and seasonally flooded wetlands, mangrove swamps, tidal creeks, ditches, and edges of ponds and lakes. Seasonal variation in water levels are particularly critical to nesting success, so alteration of wetlands used during breeding season can have negative consequences.
Forages in shallow water by standing still and waiting for prey to approach, or by walking very slowly; sometimes more active, stirring bottom sediments with one foot, or dashing in pursuit of schools of fish. Solitary in foraging, driving away others from small "feeding territory."
Diet
Mostly fish. Eats mainly small fish of no economic value, also crustaceans (crayfish, prawns), insects (aquatic insects and grasshoppers), tadpoles, frogs, salamanders, lizards, spiders.
